The Leaders of Rwanda and Congo Sign a Pact on Tuesday That May Help end Africa’s Biggest War and Years of Atrocities in its Turbulent Great Lakes Region.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) — The leaders of Rwanda and Congo sign a
pact on Tuesday that may help end Africa’s biggest war and years of atrocities in its
turbulent Great Lakes region. But analysts said the agreement — to be guaranteed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and South African President Thabo Mbeki — could fail if it is not accompanied by proposals to settle internal political disputes in both countries. And, they noted, the pact does not directly involve some key combatants such as other foreign armies and some militias fighting interlocking conflicts ripping apart the former Zaire.